US Internet Gambling Campaign Stalls

Efforts to allow internet gambling across the US have stalled, after a campaign backed by casino owners pushed back against industry efforts to allow more widespread wagering on laptops and smartphones. New Jersey, Delaware and Nevada became the first states to liberalize online betting in 2013, prompting industry executives to predict that longstanding prohibitions on the practice would soon crumble as others followed their example.

“Make no mistake: internet gaming is here to stay,” said Geoff Freeman, the new president of the American Gaming Association, told Congress in December 2013, noting that a dozen more states were also considering online play. Instead, 12 months later, revenues from the three states have failed to come close to lofty expectations, and quarrelling within the industry has shelved hopes for further expansion.